AOL closes Winamp media player after 15 years

AOL has announced that its music application Winamp will shut down on 20 December 2013 after nearly 15 years of service to audiophiles. AOL bought Winamp from Nullsoft in 1999, but the increase in streaming services now available looks to have hampered Winamp's growth over the last few years.

Released in 1997 by two college students, Winamp has grown in the past decade into the go-to media player for many across the net. Sadly for those people it's the end of an era.

Winamp was known for its wide-ranging multi-format audio file support, plug-in updates and skins, graphical sound visualisation, playlist support, and media library features. In 2010 it extended to Android devices other than the PC.

"Thanks for supporting the Winamp community for over 15 years," AOL wrote on the Winamp website. The company didn't give any reason for shutting down the application.

The baby of the Lint team, Jake is responsible for covering the latest news out of the US. He began writing technology news at 15, covering the world of Apple for several publications. He has a deep interest in the latest gadgets and gizmos. Outside of breaking news, Jake enjoys drumming, music and photography.